WordPress versus WP Engine: what will be the future of the most popular open source platform?

Ever heard of WordPress? It is the most popular technology for managing content on websites (CMS). More than 40% of sites use it. There are two versions: on the one hand there is WordPress.org, an open source solution that requires the purchase of its own hosting and domain service, offering in return total freedom of customisation, including the possibility of monetisation without restrictions. On the other hand, there is WordPress.com, a commercial version of Automattic, with free and paid plans. Automattic also manages services such as WooCommerce (e-commerce), Jetpack (optimisation tools) and Tumblr.

Having said that, the famous system is being shaken by a heated controversy between Automattic's founder and CEO, Matt Mullenweg, and WP Engine, an American company founded in 2010 and specialising in hosting services for WordPress-based websites. Its services - used by 200,000 websites - include WordPress platform performance optimisation, security and maintenance management, allowing customers to focus on content management rather than technical aspects.

In September, Mullenweg accused WP Engine of being a 'cancer for WordPress'. Underlying the accusation are several controversies. For Mullenweg, WP Engine, a subsidiary of private equity Silver Lake with 102 million assets under management, would not share the Open Source ideals that are the foundation of the project. In essence, the provider would be taking advantage of the confusion that exists between the actual CMS and the services connected to it. This would imply quality standards that are often lower than those of the competition, which, according to the CEO, could operate more efficiently. From this point of view, Mullenweg would have been very clear: some hosting providers, including WP Engine, could exert too much control over hosted sites, limiting the ability of users to customise their site as they wish and creating potential lock-ins, i.e. an over-dependence on the hosting provider, isolating certain functionalities for its users and not contributing fairly to the development of the open-source platform.

And then there is the question of not contributing to the open source world. WordPress is open source, which means that those who use it should also contribute to its improvement. But according to Matt, WP Engine would never donate to the WordPress Foundation, despite the billions earned thanks to WordPress. Mullenweg also accuses WP Engine of taking advantage of the name 'WP' to create confusion, with many users thinking they are using an official version of WordPress.

Mullenweg went further than the allegations, blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org's servers a few days ago, preventing them from updating the software for their customers, and sending a cease-and-desist letter to WP Engine, claiming that it violated the rules on the use of the WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks. After a legal dispute, WordPress later lifted the ban, allowing WP Engine temporary access to the WordPress servers.